The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 260

constitution had not been impaired by be11r- Vers. 14, 15.-And it oe.me to p&BB, that, ing children. Besides, the clear complexion when Abram we.a come into Egypt, th11 of Sarnh would render her specially attractive Egyptians beheld the woman ~hat she was in the eyes of the Egyptians, whose women, very fair. The princes also-hternlly, and though not so dark as the Nubi~s and Ethi- the princes (IJ~, mns. of Sarah), chief mon opians, were yet of a browner tinge than the or comtiers, who, in accordanco with the Syri1ms and Arabians. Monumental evidence ancient custom of Egypt that no slavo shlluld confirms the nssertion of Scripture that a fair approach the priestly person of Phnraoh, complexion was deemed a high recommenda- were sons of the principal priests (vide Hiiver- tion in the age of the Pharaohs (vide Heng; nick, § 18)-of l'ha.raoh. 'l'he official title of stenberg's 'Egypt and the Books of Moses, the kin~ of Egypt (cf. Cresar, the designation p. 200). Therefore (literally, and) it shall of the Koman emperors, and Czar, that of come to pass, when (lit.erally, that) the the Emperor of Russia), who aro never intro- Egyptians-notorious for th&ir licentiousness duced in the Pentateuch, as in later books (vuie P. Smith's 'History of the World,' _vol. by their individual names (1 Kings iii. 1 ; i. eh. vi. p. 71)-shall see thee, that (liter- ix. 40) ; on indirect ovidence that the author ally, and) they shall say, This is his wife: of Genesis must at least have been acquainted and they will kill me-in order to possess with the manners of the Egyptian Court. thee, counting murder a less crime !han The term Ph11raoh, which continued in use adultery (Lyra). An unreasonable anxiety, till nfter the Persian invnsion-under the considering that he had hitherto enj?yed_ the Greek empire the Egyptian rulers were ~ty~ed Divine protection, however natural 1t nught Ptolemies-is declare<l by Josephus to s1gmfy seem in new of the voluptuous character of "king"(' Ant.,' viii. 6, 2), which agrees with the people. But (literally, and) they will the Koptic Pouro (Pi-ouro; from ouro, to save thee alive-for either compulsory mar- rule, whence tou1·0, queen), which also mc~ns riage or dishonourable use. Say, I pray thee, king. Modern Egyptologers, however, m- -translated in ver. 11 as "now;" "verbum cline to regard it as corresponding to the obsecrantis vel adhortantis" (Masius)-thou Plira of the inscriptions (Rosellini, Lepsius, art my sister. A half truth (eh. xx. 12), Wilkinson) or to the hicro17lyphic Peraa, or but a "l"l"hole falsehood. The usual apologies, Perao, "tl~e great house' (~. de ~ouge, that he did not fabricate, but "cautiously Brucrsch, Ebers), an appellation which be- conceal the truth" (Lyra), that perhaps he long';id to the Egyptian monarchs, and "'.ith acted in obedience to a Divine impulse "l"l"hich may be compared " the Subhmo (Mede), that he di~sembled in _order to pro- Porte " as applied to the Turkish sultan~ tect his wife's chastity (Roscnmuller), are not (cf. C~non Cook in 'Spraker•~ Commentary,' satisfactory. On the other hand, Abram must vol. i. p. 477). The p:irticular monarch not be judged by the light of NcwTest3:m~nt who occupied the Egyptian throne at the revelation. It is not necessary for a Chnstlan time of Abram's arrival has been conjectured in every situation of life to tell all the truth, to be Necao (Josephus, 'Bell. Jud. ,• v. ii.-:. 4), especially when its part suppression involves Ramessemones (Syncellus, p. 101), Phare- no deception, and is indispensable for self- thones (Ea.seb., 'Praep. Ev. ,' ix. 8), Apappus preservation; and Abram may h:ave deeme_d (Wilkinson, 'Anc. Egypt.,' vol. i. p. 13, ~ote it legitimate as a means of secunng both his 5, Dr. Birch's edition), Achthoes, the, sixth own life and Sarah's honour, though how kin er of the eleventh dynasty (Osburn, lllon. he was to shield his wife in the peculiar cir- Hist. of Egypt,' vol. i.. eh. vii. J?· 375), cumstances it is difficult to see. Rosenmiiller Salatis or Sai:tas, the first kmg of the fifteenth suggests that h~ knew t~e pre!imina_ry cere- dynasty whose reign commencc<l n.c. 2080 monies to marnage reqlllred a considerable (Stuart Poole in' Smith's Diet.,' art. Phal"lloh), time and counted upon being able to leave a monarch belonging to the sixteenth dynasty Egypt before any injury ~-as_ done to Sara:11, of shepherd kings (Kalisch), an_d a Pharaoh The only objection to th1S_ lS that t~e. hlS- who flourished between the m1ddlo of tho torian represents him as being less sohc1t~us eleventh and thirteenth dynasties, most pro- about the preservation of his wi~e• s chast_1 ty bably one of the earliest Pharaohs of the than about the conservation of his own life. twelfth (Canon Cook in 'Speaker's Com~e~t- That it may be well (not with thee, though ary,' vol. i. p. 447). _Amid such c?nll1~trn_g doubtless this is implied, but) with me for thy testimony from erudite archreologists 1t 1s eake (the import of which is declared in !he apparent that nothing can be ascerta_ined_ with words which follow); and my soul shall live exactitude as to the elate of Abrams soJourn because of thee. "No defence can be offered in Egypt; though the last-named wri_ter, who for a man who, merely ~hro~gh d_rea~ ~f exhibits the latest results of scholarslnpon the danger to himself, tells a he, nsk.s his w1fe_s question, mentions in supp?rt of his conclu- chastity, puts temptation in the way. of his sion a variety of consi<lerat1011s that may bo neighbours, and betrays the charge to which the profitably studicu. 811w her._ So that ~ho Divine favour had summoned him" (Dykes). must have been U11Ycikd, which agrees with 'lH. XII. 10-20.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 189